


First Campaign: Conspiracy of the Crown

by leftie_error



Series: When Worlds Collide [3]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Haikyuu!!
Genre: Arson, Assassination Plot(s), Escape, Fighters, Mercenary Miya Atsumu, Mercenary Miya Osamu, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Princess Yachi Hitoka, Rangers, Rating May Change, Retainer Nishinoya Yuu, Retainer Shimizu Kiyoko, Retainer Tanaka Ryuunosuke, War Clerics, Wizards, archers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:41:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29511261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leftie_error/pseuds/leftie_error
Summary: In the winter of Cycle 1312, the emperor of the Halcyon Empire was assassinated and the only heiress was found missing.The death of the empire's ruler invoked the flames of chaos and revealed the corruption seeping within its own walls.Witness our heroes fight against the forces of injustice as they bring back the peace that was wrongfully stolen by the hands of the emperor's court.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu, Nishinoya Yuu & Shimizu Kiyoko & Tanaka Ryuunosuke
Series: When Worlds Collide [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2147301
Kudos: 2





	1. Royal Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prelude: Blazing Corruption**  
>  **Dusk: 21st of Mermaidens, Cycle 1312**  
>    
> _Royal blood has been shed in the palace, setting the empire ablaze._

**_Hitoka Yachi_ **

The toll of the royal deathbell breaks the silence of the night and the cobblestone streets of the capitol vibrate with the hooves of galloping horses. The palace walls shake with every step of the royal guard marching inside its halls.

Princess Hitoka Yachi awakes from her sleep as she hears the sounds of the capitol. She becomes filled with worry at the sounds being heard at an unusual time. Hitoka rises from her royal mattress and stands on her feet, curious at the reason for the commotion that’s outside her bedroom doors. 

Suddenly, she hears a rumble inside her own walls. Hitoka spins rapidly to investigate the source of the sound, her worry starting to become something even darker. The ivory wall in front of her shifts, as if it was being pushed from the inside. The wall squeaks and rotates further, and three armed people pour out from the secret entrance. A woman whispers something into the much shorter man and heads back into the entrance.

Hitoka felt relief washing over her spirit upon seeing her retainers once again.

_ Why are they armored though? What is happening?, _ Hitoka mentally questions herself, still curious about the castle’s current predicament.

Before she was able to examine them any further, Hitoka hears her windows shatter. She moves her head to inspect the source of the sound but she sees one of her retainers, Shimizu Kiyoko, move in front of her with reflexive speed and holding her holy shield up high. An audible thud was heard as an arrow made contact into the middle of her shield and marking the holy symbol of Torm, the lawful good deity of duty and loyalty signified by a r i ght-hand gauntlet held upright with palm forward , engraved at the center.

“Are you all right, my lady? Are you hurt anywhere?” Shimizu checks in on the condition of her liege. 

Hitoka blinks, trying to recover from the fleeting moment. She didn’t even notice the attempt that was made on her life.

“I… I’m alright, Kiyoko-san,” she manages to respond to her concerns.

“Princess, we have to hurry and escape!” Another one of her retainers, Ryuunosuke Tanaka, tries his best to whisper but it comes out into more of a muffled shout. He wears dark studded leather armor and accompanying him is his silver greatsword with gold designs, courtesy of his service to the crown.

Shimizu removes the stuck arrow in her holy shield and throws it aside. Aside from her shield, she also wears dark studded leather armor and her mithril rapier, hidden in a handcrafted sheath. 

“Hey, it’s all clear! How about we get moving before they find us, yeah?” Yuu Nishinoya, her only halfling retainer, appears from the secret passage once again. He fails to be silent just like his warrior friend did. He wears a much lighter set of leather armor and is equipped with a longbow, quiver, and two shortswords at the sides of his waist.

Hitoka feels anxiety bubbling up in her chest. “Find us? Wait, are we really under attack?” She becomes frantic as becomes more clueless about her own situation. 

Hitoka tries to ask for more information out of them but Shimizu interrupts her immediately. “Princess, I understand if you feel scared about what’s happening around you but I assure you, we will explain everything after we have ensured your safety.” She finishes her statement with a bold stare fixated on Hitoka’s own golden eyes.

Hitoka stares back at her midnight eyes, shining with the moonlight reflected by the shards of a broken window. She almost never sees this kind of intense expression from Shimizu’s usual calm facade. The only time she ever remembered seeing it for herself was at the earliest years of her childhood when the capitol was at risk of being in war with the previous leaders of the north. Hitoka grew afraid of the cold expression Shimizu wore when she first met her, but she grew softer over time, and in turn, Hitoka grew close to her when Shimizu was appointed as her very first retainer.

She wants to argue with Shimizu but she knows pressing for an answer won’t get her anywhere. Hitoka hesitantly nods, hoping that she will understand soon enough.

“Thank you, my lady. We will escort you to the secret passages to- “ Shimizu stops when the shattered window breaks even further, scattering shards all over the space of the room. Three hooded figures in black swing into the chamber with ropes, armed with weapons fitting for an assassin.

Shimizu and Ryu quickly take up battle stances to protect the princess, unsheathing their weapons and immediately taking up defensive positions.

“Hold up, I got this!” Yuu quickly sees the situation, nocking several arrows as a reaction. He lets them loose and the intruders fall dead in a blink of an eye. 

“Princess, our time is running out. We have to go _ now _ **.** ” Shimizu says with a dread of urgency. They sheath back their weapons when they see the threat eliminated. Yuu runs back to the bodies and picks up the arrows, still in good condition.

“But what about my stuff? And my mother’s parting gift to me…” Hitoka becomes distraught as she feels the stress of what’s happening around her closing in.

“Then we’ll just take your mother’s gift to you! We know how important it is to you.” Ryuu intercepts, trying to send positive affirmations on her way. Hitoka is always grateful for his support that he can give her.

“Ryuu, I told you to be silent or more of them will find us.” Shimizu scolds the tone of his voice earlier.

“S-sorry! I’ll try my best, my lady!” Ryuu bows in response as if she was a royal herself.

Shimizu sighs at his usual display of feelings. She isn’t exactly oblivious to it, since he makes it so obvious for everyone else to see. She only chooses to ignore them, for she has a duty to the crown and to her deity to uphold.

Hitoka hurriedly walks to her personal vanity mirror made of ivory and gold, located at the far side of the room. In one of the bottom drawers, she pulls out an intricately designed wooden box and opens it. A silver heart-shaped locket with a message engraved at the top.

  
_ Treasure  _

_ your love within _

_ my heart _

  
  


The locket was a memento left behind by her mother days before she died of sickness. She knew she couldn’t be alive to see her daughter grow so she left all of her love inside the hollow space of the locket. 

Hitoka stares at the precious object at her palm, as if she was trying to see an answer to all of the questions running through her head. She takes a moment to wear it upon herself and feels the tears she didn’t realize she was holding trying to escape.

Shimizu comes closer to her with a backpack and a cloak in her arms, “I packed some essentials for you while you were getting ready. Please, wear this cloak before we head out, Princess.” Hitoka didn’t even realize that they were holding more than what she saw when the three of them first came in. She does what she was asked of her retainer, wearing the leather backpack and donning the cloak. 

“You two go first in the tunnels, I’ll guard our rear as we go. Princess, please stay between us.” Shimizu tactfully orders the party involved, paying attention to her voice and Ryuu unnecessarily bowing to her. As a loyal cleric to the righteous god Torm, she is a capable warrior of justice carrying out his will into the world. Hitoka knows enough to respect her for that while her other retainers have seen enough to do the same for her, even some more than others.

The party follows suit of her commands with Yuu carefully closing the entrance, making the wall seem like it was the moment before it was opened. They follow Yuu’s lead in venturing into the secret passages. Hitoka wants to know how he seemingly knows the way like it was the back of his hand.

Sometime and somewhere along the way, more hooded figures have managed to intercept them. Hitoka sees more of them from what she saw in her own bedroom. Shimizu sees two enemies on her front while the other two see three on their own. They all take up stances protecting the princess while Hitoka stands bewildered in her place. 

The two from behind start to rush in on the group. As they do, Shimizu brings her sword and holy shield together, manifesting the will of her deity. A radiant glow emanates from her blade and she swings with practiced skill, releasing a shockwave of light. The wave strikes true to their bodies, marking a shining gash in on their torsos as they fall to the ground dead. 

Meanwhile, the three in front start to close in on the group, targeting the princess. Ryuu steps forward with a greatsword in both hands, swinging with the proficiency of a trained warrior. His blade strikes true and two of the enemies fall down defeated. During that attack, Yuu already has an arrow nocked on the grip of his bow. The arrow is shot with a practiced aim, piercing the heart of the third enemy. 

Hitoka grows pale at the sight of the fresh bodies that lie before her. Negative thoughts start to cloud over her head like a thunderstorm.

_ How many people are dying right now, exactly? Is it my fault? Why are they after me? I didn’t do anything,  _ **_why-_ **

Before Hitoka continues to think even further than that, Shimizu grabs her shoulders and forces her to face up from the ground, “Princess, I’m sorry you had to see that but we have no time to dawdle. We have to keep going.”

Hitoka can only do nothing but stare back and nod at her, still reeling for the events that led up to them being here. Shimizu nods to the other two and looks at each other with a silent confirmation. “It’s better that we take other paths here… Pretty sure these slimy bastards don’t know all of the secrets of the palace,” Yuu speaks up and finishes with a smirk, confident in his ability to protect the princess.

Hitoka doesn’t know how he gets the positivity in everything he does. She is grateful for that, nonetheless.

With his guidance, the group was able to continue with relative ease. Shimizu kept a close eye on the princess who decided it was best to follow their lead. She can only hope that Hitoka will be strong enough to handle the truth once they told her.

“I think I can see the exit!” Ryuu pipes up in a tone louder than what he should’ve said. His said tone earned him a stare from Shimizu’s direction, which immediately shut him up. They paced further to reach the exit and they stepped foot outside the northern boundary of the capitol. 

As they cross the distance to the outermost trees of the Topaz Glades, Hitoka sees two horses ready for travel by a small visible clearing in the trees. They attempt to close the distance but the group stops in their tracks when she hears the unsheathing of weapons. 

“I’m afraid this is the end of the line for you all.” they turn around and see more of the hooded figures from earlier and this was the largest group they’ve seen so far. Eight people are accompanied by a tall man in the middle, dressed in all of the darkness of the night.

He stares at Hitoka with dreadful intensity and the princess doesn’t even begin to imagine how to handle the pressure of it. Shimizu steps in front of her, staring back with the same energy.

“I was wondering when you’d show up, leader of the Hands of Twilight.” Shimizu talks back and the tension in the air thickens.

_ Hands of Twilight? I thought that was just a tale made up by mothers to scare children into behaving…,  _ Hitoka sees the thoughts going through her mind and tries to process them.

The supposed leader chuckles as he steps forward to the group, “You’re just as reliable as ever, Shimizu.” Yuu grimaces at his comfortable stance while Ryuu looks ready to jump at him for his arrogance. “But surely, you can’t expect to protect the princess from the threat that shattered the empire with just the three of you alone?”, he finishes with a wicked smile.

“YOU-” Ryuu attempts to silence him for his insolence but Shimizu holds out her arm to stop him. “And what makes you think that we’ll just hand him over to the likes of you? We all know who’s the  _ real  _ threat here.” Shimizu stands and speaks firmly, not giving in to his provocation.

Hitoka sees the man’s face morph into something more darker and she couldn’t help herself to take a step back. “Please remember if you ignore the orders of the law of the empire, you will all be burdened under the crime of treason for kidnapping the princess,” he speaks as he steps back into his group, thinking he has gained the upper hand.

Hitoka hears the lies that the man spouts against her retainers and tries to open her mouth to speak in their defense. Yuu interrupts her before she can produce any sound, “Our duty is to the royal bloodline! Not to you or your corrupted order!”.

The shadowy group can only huff in response to his statement. “Well then, let us show how we, The Hands of Twilight…” the group proceeds to prepare to engage their enemies as the leader raises his right arm, shadowing the slivers of moonlight striking down from the sky.

Shimizu sees the inevitable battle that’s going to happen between both parties. “Princess, close your eyes for me. You do not wish to see more bloodshed.”, she says this as gently as possible. Hitoka sees the option of mercy given for the sake of her fragile heart and she takes it.

“And you two.” the two of them quickly glance back in her direction. “Stall them for a few minutes, and that will give me enough time to end this and let us escape,” Shimizu commands her and they immediately nod in return, a symbol of their unspoken bond between them.

“...how we deal with criminals like  **you.** ”, the leader snaps his fingers using the raised arm and they attack. Hitoka covers her ears when the fighting begins once again.

To her, the snap of those fingers sounded too much like the bells that woke her up this painful night. And she no longer wishes to hear them again.

Shimizu brings her shield and sword hand together and starts to mutter a prayer. Yuu grabs a special arrow with a small clay sphere attached to the arrowhead, aims with a steady breath, and shoots at the charging group all in quick succession. Most of them are either knocked back or have fallen to the ground, disoriented from the smoke blast from Yuu’s arrow. The distraction gives Ryuu an opportunity to strike at the unaffected ones, cutting them down to the best of his ability.

The smoke still lingers heavily but the hooded group has already recuperated from the blast made by the smoke arrow. However during that moment, the moonlight of the clearing is replaced by the divine glow emanating from Shimizu’s body.

The archer and the warrior immediately step back over to the princess to focus on her safety. “Princess! To the horses, let’s go!”, Ryuu stops at Hitoka’s side to let her know of the moment of retreat.

Hitoka becomes alarmed from his statement, thinking it was seemingly unbelievable?

  
  
_Ryuu, of all people, leaving Kiyoko-san behind?_

“But we can leave without her! She’s all alone, look!” Hitoka responds frantically, not wanting to leave without the woman who has protected her all this time.

“It’s gonna be too bright out here, milady! And she’ll be fine, trust us, she’ll catch up in a second!” Yuu looks up to her, squinting as Shimizu’s glow starts to become more intense.

Hitoka was unable to argue any further when Shimizu shined brighter than ever before she started. She opens her eyes and raises her sword hand like a beacon of hope in the dark.

**“** **_Guardians of justice, I beseech thee!_ ** **”** She bellows out into the air.

At that moment, angelic spirits spring out from her divine aura and unleashes their holy might. The group screams in pain as they feel the judgement of Shimizu’s faith shining through their evil.

“Sorry, princess, but we gotta move!” Yuu takes Hitoka’s hand and runs to the ignored horses, neighing and thrashing terribly at hearing the ruckus around them. Ryuu follows suit and so does Shimizu when she sees her tactic doing the desired effect.

The two calmed the horses down long enough that the group was all sitting on their backs, even with Hitoka’s difficulty to attempt to ride on horseback. 

She wonders how Yuu does it so easily even though he’s shorter than her but she realizes at the moment her body gains a moment of slight respite, she feels too tired enough to even think about it. 

Shimizu controls the reins of the first horse while Hitoka is right behind. Ryuu does the same on the other horse with Yuu behind him. At the whip of Shimizu’s wrists, they proceed onwards deeper into the Topaz Glades. Hitoka goes in and embraces Shimizu from behind at the first gallop.

She presses her face at the warm sensation of the leather adorning Shimizu’s back.

Hitoka cries at the confusion of it all, and she never tries to look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Kiyoko is a war cleric in service to Torm, Tanaka is a champion and Noya is a sharpshooter. If you notice that Kiyoko talks a lot here, she did it out of obligation. She doesn't want out princess freaking out more than she already is.  
>    
> I might make character sheets for them depending on how the story goes.  
>    
> Next up is the twins' chapter from Atsumu's perspective._


	2. Hell on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prelude: Blazing Corruption**  
>  **Dusk: 21st of Mermaidens, Cycle 1312**  
>    
> _The chaos of the capitol travels far into the north, brought by its agent of shadow and fire._

**_Atsumu Miya_ **

Atsumu jolts awake from his rest, eyes wide and his ear responds to the screams of the night. He cranes his head toward the windowsill that he burned with magic when he was a kid. His eyes widen when he sees flames once again, more realistic than a simple childhood memory. Atsumu rightfully stands up from his seat, his hands bracing on the edge of his study table. He inhales for a moment, steadying himself for the events that he thinks are about to unfold.

“‘Tsumu.” Atsumu hears a familiar voice in the air and he sees Osamu in all of his blackened attire marching into their room. He smells of smoke and is covered in charred soot, he realizes from what he can see from their candlelit room. Atsumu turns to him and asks, “‘Samu, why in the Nine Hells is everythin’ in the village _burnin'? ,_ ” but his question is decidedly ignored by Osamu by throwing his trusted satchel into his chest. 

“Pack yer shit, yah goddamned scrub. We’re under attack.” He responds as he zips to his side of their shared bed space. He collects the quivered arrows stocked in the far side of the wall and equips them into his own quiver, almost empty for some reason Atsumu wants to know immediately. 

“Wow, not even a hello… So who’s doin’ the attacking then?” Atsumu replies less out of spite and more out of concern. If Osamu ever picks up on the latter, he’ll just deny it like how he did it for the last decade of their lives together. With what’s happening right now though, he thinks he might just let it slide for once. 

Osamu picks up healing vials from a shelf next to the location of the quivers. Atsumu notices even more concerning features adorning his brother’s armor. The signs of a skirmish are evident in his body while the supply belt he has kept well-stocked for as long as he can remember is empty. 

“Wait, and why the fuck are ya so banged up?” Atsumu asks out of definite concern now. Atsumu takes this sign as an initiative to start preparing for himself as well. He hastily picks up the scrolls he last studied before he fell asleep and packs them into his satchel. He can only hope that the few moments of sleep he gained before this all happened will be enough to last him through the night.

“It’s The Golden Order. They’re attacking the north.” Atsumu turns his face to him with a grimace when he takes hold of his trusted spellbook in hand. His preparation is halted momentarily when he feels shocked by the piece of information Osamu has just dropped on him.

“Has the Emperor gone completely insane to just decide and attack the Sleeted Woods? The two clans are gonna _demolish-”_ Atsumu starts to ramble as he continues packing in his scholarly essentials into his satchel. Osamu interrupts him with a statement that leaves him more reeling than the last one, “It’s because the emperor is dead, ‘Tsumu. And apparently, the princess got kidnapped and taken t' the north, which is _here._ ”

Atsumu freezes his action of putting in his spare spellbook inside his satchel and speaks, “Are ya fucking with me right now, ‘Samu?” Atsumu doesn't know what new pieces of information should he process first, the fact that the royal bloodline has been left in shambles or that Osamu gives him the tone and stare he never wished he’d see once again. Osamu only gives him silence in return and Atsumu is left shocked. “Holy shit, yer not fucking with me…” Atsumu says shocked while putting the spellbook in his hand and into his satchel slowly, still feeling the pressure from his glare.

He’s only ever seen that look sent to him when he sees grave danger about to befall his brother or his family. The memory of that one bounty where a cinder hag summoned a sizable band of fire imps comes fresh into his mind. When Osamu saw that the hag nearly sliced off Atsumu’s jugular with her flaming talons, Atsumu was stared down by Osamu with a look that by all rights should’ve scorched him off the face of the realm. 

Atsumu definitely thinks he needs more hours of sleep before he faces the inevitable hellhole that is his burning hometown. 

He also just realizes how out of character Osamu has been this entire time. His calm composure even in intense situations is gone and it definitely raises his concerns. As he realizes the gravity of the situation, he proceeds to grab the dragon leather gauntlets at the other side of his study table. He puts them on with practiced ease, the familiar feeling of the fox fur lining slightly putting him to ease. He clenches his fists and feels his chosen catalyst envelop him even warmer, pleading to it like an unspoken prayer.

He glances towards the window of the room again and sees the flames glow brighter in the span of minutes. Even though the Miya household is placed on the outskirts of the Foxglove, he can almost imagine the feel of the heat of the burning wood from a distance. 

“Stop starin' and hurry the hell up already.” Osamu diverts his attention while he heads down the stairs. Atsumu couldn’t help himself to feel annoyed by the tone of his voice but he pushes that feeling down. He doesn’t want to waste his energy over pointless arguments, especially if his younger brother is in a mental state like this. 

Atsumu scoffs and moves toward the armor stands further back in their room, near where Osamu obtained his own arrows. With a deep breath, he strips down and changes into clothing more appropriate for adventuring. The black shirt and pants both sewn with white lining accentuate the dark leather armor he chooses to wear with it. On the wall next to the armor stands he grabs for the sheathed weapon from the rack, his trusted rapier, and buckles the sheath into his waist.

Atsumu can feel the muscles in his tail twitch in anticipation. The cold of the winter air is felt on the tips of his horns. He goes back to his study table for a quick moment and wears his satchel and dons his cloak as a final step in his preparation. The added weight on his body only makes him more aware of the evident pressure. 

Atsumu descends down the small flight of stairs and witnesses the scene in front of him. Osamu is kneeling on the carpet edge near the doorway, hand filled with berries given out to a creature. He immediately recognizes Snowball, Osamu’s winter fox familiar, looking lethargic while the fox leans into the cold brick wall of their home. 

_That explains the shitty mood, then..._ Atsumu examines what he sees more closely and he thinks that they’ll probably have a moment to themselves before they go. He thinks that he should get his spellbook from his satchel in preparation for what’s ahead but Osamu vocalizes the thought for him. 

“Go prepare your spells. We got a long night ahead.” He cocks his head to the side while maintaining his position. Atsumu scoffs as he responds, “Tch, no need to tell me twice.”, and he gets the spellbook he has carefully taken care of over the years from his satchel. 

As he tries to open his spellbook, Osamu retorts back at him, “Just a reminder for the person who almost slept through a whole hellscape.” his gaze calming slightly at the action of banter. Atsumu can only grimace at the statement and gestures to throw the spellbook in his hands. Atsumu feels that the tension is getting into his head and maybe whacking his brother’s head might bring him some effective stress relief. Osamu just huffs and turns his attention back into his animal companion.

He turns over the pages of the familiar feeling on paper on his scarlet fingertips. The arcane inscriptions in the pages have become second nature to him, thanks to his mother’s teachings. Atsumu sees, reads, studies, and images the scenarios of magic flowing through his body and realizing it into a spell. He thinks of the methods of creating magic into a force of destruction. The images are clear in his mind through the amount of study he has invested over the years. 

_Read the script. Remember the script. Realize the script. Repeat for the script._ Atsumu repeats the mantra that his mother etched into the recesses of his brain. Every page of a spell he deems necessary to use, he starts the mantra again and the chosen spells are once again at his beck at call anytime. 

After minutes of his arcane study, Atsumu sees his brother stroke the fur of his animal companion one last time and mumbles something almost inaudible, “Rest up, my friend. We’ll be back...” Atsumu’s heart softens a little bit at witnessing the close bond they shared between them. There are only a few things that Atsumu can’t deny in front of Osamu is finding the little rascal cute. That line of thought in Atsumu’s mind definitely changes when he isn't looking at a distance. He knows how… _aggressive_ the little creature can be.

Atsumu takes this as a sign to stop preparing his spells and puts back his spellbook in his satchel and stands up from his seat. He spares one last glance at his twin’s fox companion and questions, “Yer not bringin’ the little dude?” 

Osamu’s glare comes back at full force and Atsumu makes a face back at him on instinct. “There’s too much heat in there. He can’t handle that twice.” He says with a cold tone feeling akin to the snow beneath their feet. Atsumu is getting tired of being the receiving end of it but he thinks it’s understandable. He’ll let it slide only in this situation though.

“Wait, if ya said _twice_ , ya mean ya came t’ get me by going through the _fires_? Is that why ya look like shit?” Atsumu asks, his mind getting more questions than answers at this point.

Osamu exits their household with Atsumu following suit of him. The chill of the winter air feels more prominent on the pores of their scarlet skin. “Ma and Pa needed help evacuating the people. Saw it and I helped, ‘Tsumu and they’re still there.” Osamu says to him as he closes the door behind them.

All the grogginess in Atsumu’s body is suddenly replaced with alarm. “The fuck, ‘Samu? Why didn’t ya lead with that!?” Atsumu says, his tone becoming agitated.

Osamu only sighs heavily at the response given to him. Atsumu is no stranger to their back and forth but with more pressing concerns right now, he doesn’t dwell on the sentiment. “If I did, yah would’ve stumbled over yer ass rushing to get done,” Osamu responds and it only brings down Atsumu’s mood even further. 

Atsumu is starting to see red at being underestimated by his own brother. It’s enough that he strides forward and grabs a fistful of fabric from Osamu’s cloak, nearing their faces. “Okay, listen here, _yah punk-_ ” Atsumu starts to vent out about Osamu’s antics but when he tries to continue, Osamu pushes him away from his grasp. 

“No, it’s _yer_ thick fuckin’ head that needs to listen.” Osamu grits his teeth as he fixes the uneven folds Atsumu did to his cloak. “We _do not_ need t' do this right now. I didn’t tell yah ‘cos I needed yah to be in yer best state, okay? We either stand here arguin’ or we _help them._ ”

“Okay fine! Let’s just go already.” Atsumu raises his hands in exasperation and Osamu can only roll his eyes at his older brother. How Osamu thinks that he’s the better twin between them is something Atsumu will always wonder about in his lifetime. 

_Just because Pa trained with ya and your swords more doesn’t mean I can’t do shit, ‘Samu! I’m a wizard, for fuck’s sake!_ Atsumu screams at the back of his mind but Osamu doesn’t have to hear all of his feelings of annoyance right now. Meanwhile, Osamu marches ahead swiftly to the direction of the burning village and Atsumu follows with an audible groan. 

He hasn’t even done an act of violence yet Atsumu can already feel himself starting to get exhausted.

The twins spent no other time other than the path ahead to Foxglove. Atsumu can only follow in silence as they walk on the snowed path. He doesn’t want to provoke the tension between them and he knows it’s just enough to make himself act up again. It only took them minutes to reach the outskirts of the village. As they look around, they see the remains of the village guard and most of the villagers in the outskirts of the village. All they can hear between them is the panic brought by the destruction. 

“Shit, this really doesn’t look good…” Atsumu scowls at the situation in front of him. _Did they really have to burn a whole village just to find a lost princess?_ He can feel Osamu behind him, wearing the same expression. “No shit… We hafta find our parents quick-”

“Oh by the gods, the two of you are a blessing for my old pair of eyes!” The twins turn their heads to the left as they hear a familiar voice call through them. They see the old lady owner from their favorite tavern in the village which is named The Greycoat Tables. The lady who calls herself Granny White is panting from her attempt to close the distance between them. “Granny! Yah don’t look good, how’re ye holdin’ up?”, Osamu says with alarm and the twins immediately rush to her side as she starts to collapse from exhaustion. Atsumu can see the sweat forming on the wrinkled complexion of her brow. 

“Thank you, both… ” Granny’s hair is disheveled to a fault and Atsumu is genuinely worried for her sake. Them being tieflings, they’re most likely to be met with lingering stares or hushed whispers. The twins learned to realize how people can be so decisive of one’s impression on people just from a glance of their appearance. Granny White was one of the few people that never made them uncomfortable, always giving them extra portions of her prized rice balls when they go out to eat at The Greycoat Tables.

If Atsumu is feeling worried for her, then he doesn’t want to dwell on what Osamu could be feeling right now. He knows any memories relating to food hit closer to home with Osamu than it did to him. Seeing Osamu now looking at Granny White’s state, he doesn’t like it one bit. In his mind, he knows needs to make a move, or else they’ll both collapse under the stress.

“Hey, gran, have ya seen our Ma and Pa? Tiefling and human crime-fighting duo? We’re here t' help them help the village.” Atsumu asks with the lightest tone possible, hoping this could calm the tense air around them to a degree. “Oh, it’s horrible! They found out about the trapped children and stayed behind to rescue them!” Granny White answers with full distraught. Atsumu winces at her reaction, clearly seeing his subtle attempt to remove some tension failing. 

“Stay here, gran. Being with numbers is safer fer ya.” Osamu reassures her and she nods in agreement, parting from the twins while wiping the showing tears in her eyes. He looks up to his brother and Atsumu nods with a silent agreement. They can both feel the fires that have already stretched to the edges of the village. They can only hope that their parents are holding up fine with their adventuring experience. They’re confident enough in the skills of their parents but they can't help themselves to feel worried for them.

Before they step into the raging flames, they stop at the edge and unsheath their weapons. With his rapier in his right hand, Atsumu glides his left hand over the sleek blade of his weapon. As he does, he mumbles an incantation into the air, “ _Let the Weave guide my blade.”_ The blade suddenly shines as if it was newly forged, telling the success of Atsumu’s Magic Weapon spell. 

Osamu does the same with his special bow made from cherry blossom wood obtained from the Sleeted Woods. He caresses the bowstring with the left hand, sliding the string between his forefinger and middle finger. He calls upon his version of the Magic Weapon spell, a blessing from nature. He quietly invokes the words, “ _Forces of nature, guide my bow._ ” Suddenly, his bowstring emits a faint green glow, showing a successful cast.

Once they deem themselves ready, they venture into the burning streets. They immediately hear the sounds of clashing metal amidst the crackling of burning wood in the background. Atsumu thinks the sounds are too near for his own liking. “'Samu, don’t you think that the fighting sounds too close?” he warns his brother of his surroundings but he’s sure enough that Osamu has already figured that out too.

“Wait, I’m seein’ somethin’...” Osamu quickly turns his head to the side to glance at the gaps between the houses around them. Atsumu senses the danger too and scans the area around him. It doesn’t find him any comfort to see the same moving shadows that Osamu saw just a moment ago. The grip on his rapier tightens, his form turning into a battle stance with his back behind Osamu. He hears the shuffling of arrows at the back of his ear, their reflexes manifesting in the moment of strife.

In a flash, a hooded figure leaps out from the fires, showing the daggers in both of their hands. Atsumu sees the evil smirk on the lower part of their face, and he just feels annoyed by the arrogance of it all. When the enemy ahead tries to go in for the kill, Atsumu already has the counterattack ready in his free hand. With practiced ease, he collects psychic energy into his left palm and hurls it into the enemy’s head, casting a Mind Spike. The hooded figure cries in pain, dropping their weapons and clutching his head with both hands. Osamu takes the opportunity and fires the arrow from his enchanted bow, the path of flight creating a magical green tail to its target. The arrows pierces true to the head, effectively ending him. Atsumu never fails to grasp that feeling of pride in the coordination that they both built over the years.

“Nice shot there, but we ain’t done yet!” Atsumu declares this with a grin on his face. He steps forward to stand beside Osamu to prepare himself for what’s to come

“Didja really hafta say that?” Osamu can only make a sound and proceeds to nock another arrow at the ready, his spell still in good condition. 

Just as they expected, more hooded figures leap out from the fires. Two figures stand in front of them while another one attempts to flank them from behind. He knows that the sight in front of him means only an annoyance to Osamu. However, to Atsumu he sees this as nothing more than a challenge. 

Atsumu readies another spell named Psydarts by closing his left hand into a fist and brings it into his mouth, exhaling into it and making it glow with psychic energy. The surrounding enemies make their move to close in on their target. They almost make it to the twins but then, Atsumu releases the collected energy in his palm and into the air. The bright blue ball disperses into three darts, homing in on all three of them. The magical force is enough to stagger them, giving Osamu enough reaction time to quickly draw two arrows into the chests of two enemies. On the other hand, the final one manages to recover from the knockback. They attempt to strike while still reeling from the effects of Atsumu’s spell. It’s sloppy enough that Atsumu can easily parry the strike and counter with a deadly thrust to the heart.

The twins catch their breath after managing to finish the skirmish. Atsumu can feel the rush of adrenaline flowing in his veins once again. Normally, Atsumu would consider this a job well done but with the current situation, he can’t bring himself to think that way. Especially when the pieces are starting to connect together in his mind.

“Don’t tell me these assholes are what I think it is they are?,” Atsumu says while breathing more heavily than normal, a consequence he can never escape from when using magic.

“Yeah, them rumors about an assassin network working fer the crown? Now proven true.”, Osamu takes in a deep breath, steadying his posture and his grip on the bow.

“Thought these kinds of political mind games only affected other royalty or some noble pricks. Not its own goddamn people.”, Atsumu says as he scowls again at the fresh corpse he just created. 

“And that’s why we gotta find them soon,” Osamu walks forward immediately to continue their search. Atsumu follows his pace but immediately stops at the first steps. A scream pierces through the sounds of the night. Atsumu can tell by the pitch alone that it came from a child. 

“Fuck, that sounded kinda close too,” Atsumu says while trying to ascertain the direction of the source. 

“Might be the town square.” Osamu glances to the general direction of the said location and back to Atsumu. He cocks his head forward, telling Atsumu that it’s the time to move. Osamu breaks into a dash and Atsumu mentally swears at the sudden speed but he tries to match it anyway. 

Atsumu starts to feel the heat of the flames around them, despite the innate resistance he has against fire. A gut feeling is budding from the back of his mind and he doesn’t fail to notice it. It’s almost as if the fires burning deeper into the village are unnatural. The feeling only becomes stronger as they make a sharp right. They can see the town square within the distance and the shrunken figures of people occupying the space.

“I think that’s them. Let’s move.” Osamu tries to break into a sprint once again but suddenly, two hooded figures with daggers leap out from each side of the burning road. 

“Would you look at that… _New prey._ ” the figure to the left sneers at them with a smile that’s filled with the intent to kill. The said smile strikes a nerve within Atsumu’s body.

“ **Move, ya bastards!** ”, Atsumu shouts in annoyance at the smug expression. He clenches his fist and collects magical energy. He transforms its nature to the essence of ice and releases it with a blue magic circle in front of him, launching three rays of chilling frost over to the enemies. 

Two rays hit the target on the left and gets staggered heavily from the sudden drop in temperature on their body. Osamu sees the moment to aim and shoots, killing the target. The one on the right manages to shrug off the cold magic that struck them. 

They make the action to close in on Atsumu with impressive speed. Osamu manages to dash out of the way but it almost catches Atsumu off guard. The second the dagger’s blade is about to meet his midsection, he luckily parries it with his rapier and knocks back the attacker.

“Not today, you dick!” Atsumu retaliates by hurling a bolt of psychic energy to the enemy’s head. The brunt of the spell’s force leaves them open for Atsumu to deal the final blow.

Atsumu is breathing heavily from the efforts he had made this time. The lack of sleep is chasing up to him and he’s not liking it one bit. 

“Don’t collapse on me now.”, Osamu deadpans to his brother and it hits a nerve deeper than the smirk he just saw from earlier.

“Fuck yerself! How ‘bout you try touchin’ the Weave for once, huh? That shit ain’t easy!” Atsumu can feel the urge to throw a punch getting stronger inside him. He doesn’t do it right now but he’s close to getting there. 

Osamu sighs at his brother’s usual display. “We’re getting close t' the square. Catch your breath there ‘cos yer gonna need it. I’m seein’ a lot of folks there.” he tries to reassure Atsumu and it succeeds to a degree.

“Yeah, yeah, gimme a sec…” Atsumu fishes out a vial of water from his satchel, a needed component for a powerful cold magic spell. He figures that he’s going to need a powerful counter if his guess of the unnatural nature of flames is true.

“You better get ready too, ‘Samu. I’m starting t' think these fires aren’t our usual normal.” Atsumu relays his assumptions to his twin.

Osamu raises an eyebrow at the statement, “Pretty sure committin’ arson isn’t that all complicated, ‘Tsumu. Just light somethin’ up.”

Atsumu can feel a vein bulging at the edge of his brow, “ _No_ , ya dipshit. I mean, maybe they’re made by magic. ‘Cause I can feel it. You feel it too, I know it.”

Osamu sends him a sidelong glance, looking like he’s about to deny it but he sighs in defeat. “Well, they _do_ feel hotter for some reason. Maybe a pyromancer? Gods, I hate fighting those.” Osamu admits in agreement while turning to face Atsumu.

“Well, we’re about t' find out soon if yer right or not,” Atsumu responds by taking the step forward this time.

Osamu responds with a tired expression, “This time, I hope I’m not.”

It doesn’t take them long to reach the town square. The scattered debris of wood and leaves are all glowing with embers. The ground beneath them feels drier than ever before. The twins immediately notice the sizable group of people by the well centered in the square. In the center of it all, Atsumu finally sees his parents seemingly unharmed but he’s unsure about that. He can see them being flanked by five of the same hooded figures from before on each side. The most alarming thing he notices is the three children cowering in fear by the well, two boys and one girl. Atsumu can feel the tension between both parties, waiting on each other to make a move.

Atsumu has successfully found his parents and now, he must successfully protect them as well. He feels the rush of adrenaline coming over him once again.

He pops the cork sealing the water vial in his left hand and he feels the water dripping on the side of the vial’s rim. “I’ll take right, you take left. Hit them with one of yer special arrows.” Atsumu commands while positioning himself further to the right, eyeing a better spot to aim his spell. 

“Way ahead of ya,” Osamu follows by moving in the opposite direction, a different arrow with light blue fletching already nocked on the enchanted bowstring.

The water in his left hand is a refreshing feeling on Atsumu’s nerves. He channels magic into the liquid and transforms it into cold magic, coalescing into a swirling ball of chilling frost. “ **Now!** ” Atsumu’s shouts pierces through the silence of their visual battle. He throws the ball of cold magic from his palm and aims it at the flanking enemies in front of him.

Atsumu’s mother who just noticed his presence in front of her wears a surprised expression. The velvet sage robes she’s wearing right now have seen better days, that’s for sure. When she sees the spell aiming towards her enemies, she quickly turns to the children behind her. “Close your eyes, children! You don’t want to see all of this!,” she warns them as gently as possible. The children follow without question, hugging themselves tighter out of fear. 

“Looks like our boys made it t' the party!,” Atsumu’s father bellows out in pride. His armor is not that much different from the ones he’s wearing right now. The only stark comparison is the wielding of his platinum swords in each hand. 

His voice is soon drowned out by Atsumu’s spell striking the ground, releasing a forceful explosion of sheer cold. The cloud of ice propels the five flanking enemies in several directions, dropping to the ground lifeless. Osamu immediately follows with his shot, the blue arrow streaking with a green path thanks to his enchantment spell from earlier. The blue arrow lands precisely in the middle of the group, delivering the same effect as Atsumu’s ice spell. The flanking enemies are scattered from the frost and drops to the ground with cold blood. The sudden drop of temperature in the area snuffs out the flames of the town square, giving the Miya family a moment of respite.

“Ma! Pa!” Osamu immediately closes the distance between them and Atsumu does the same too. Atsumu feels somewhat relieved knowing no definite harm have come to their parents.

Their father sheathes his weapons before coming closer to his sons. “Hope ya had a good sleep back at your study, son! Yer gonna need it!,” Atsumu winces at the unnatural enthusiasm his father has. He still cares for him either way.

“I won’t have one if y’all are gonna march into a burning village without telling me first!”

“Hush now, children… You’ll be safe with us,” Atsumu can clearly hear the bawling coming from the mouths of the children. Even so, he can see just how content her mother feels by the constant moving of her tail. Atsumu will never understand how people can bring themselves to find children “cute”. And he’ll never try to anyway.

The distressed children follow her like chicks to a mother hen. She moves closer to Atsumu and moves her head from side to side, her horns standing proud into the air. “I’m glad to see you’re as studious as ever, dear. But please, do not overdo it. Now look, you missed out on the action,” she speaks with a playful glint in her amber eyes. The spirit of adventuring has never completely died down within them. Osamu can’t help himself to chuckle at his brother being the subject of their teasing.

Atsumu can only sputter in response. “I try to help, and this is the gratitude I get? I don’t deserve this!”

His mother is showing even more of a grin than ever before. “I thank you for your concern, dear. But do not fret for your mother, Sekki Miya, and-”  
  


“And your father, Takumi Miya!”,

“-yes, thank you, my dear husband- are not so easily taken down. You should know this by now.”

Atsumu knows that this is her way of reassuring him that everything is fine between them. It can only do so much for his worrying, though.

“And I know you can handle this task I am about to give to the both of you.”

Her last statement piques the interest of the twins. They move closer to Sekki as she pulls out two items from a hidden pocket in her vestments. What they see in her hand are two slips of paper, a picture of a fox on the front while MIYA is written in the back.  
  
“Take these and seek the Onmyo Clan in the western Sleeted Woods. The head of the clan owes me a favor from a completed quest. Use these to remind him of that.”, Sekki informs them as clearly as possible. The twins take one of each at the request of their mother. 

“But what about the both of yah?”

The twins immediately glare at each other for saying the same line again for the umpteenth time. Their parents can only find it amusing, their usual dynamic lightening up the situation.

“We all should go where we should go now, eh? Careful yah two, there’s a professional pyromancer walking around town here!”

The twins’ eyes widen in their father’s nonchalant response. Of all the times for Osamu to be right, Atsumu really wished this wasn’t another one of those times. While still in their shock, Sekki takes this as a cue to kiss her sons to the sides of their heads.

“Do not worry, me and your father will reunite with the both of you soon enough. If you’ll excuse us, we have children to save.” Sekki Miya walks away in an elegant fashion at a pace that the three children are able to follow. Takumi Miya follows closely behind in stride, keeping sure the children are safe along the way. 

The twins are still rubbing their cheeks on the spot where their mother last kissed them. Atsumu has entirely convinced himself that he’ll never get to know how to feel regarding the sheer confidence their parents have in the skills they have trained them since they were young. If Atsumu comes to the time where he becomes aware of that, no amount of preparation can ever prepare himself for that.

“So I was right about the pyromancer, huh?” Osamu speaks up first, still reeling from the surreal experience.

“No, _I_ was right. I told ya that I had the hunch.” Atsumu retorts back at his seemingly false statement.

“Can yah just stop? We have somewhere else to go now.” Osamu talks back, slipping into their usual banter.

“Well, yer the one doing all the explorin’ for the both of us! Ya lead the way!” Atsumu relents, unconsciously doing the same reflex as Osamu did.

“All of that goddamn reading ‘Tsumu and yah never bothered t' pick up a fuckin’ map?”

“The only closest thing of me pickin' up a map is readin' a rune! Deal with it, ‘Samu!”

“It’s no wonder yer late to fuckin’ everythin’! Even right now that’s the world’s burning-”

Atsumu stops listening to Osamu’s words when he notices a hooded figure past his brother’s back. The slow pace of his stride exudes an image of confidence. The deep red velvet coat slowly flows in the burning winter air. What Atsumu sees in front of him is a professional dressed and trained to kill. 

**“So I see before me the underminers of my work.”**

“‘Samu, move!” Atsumu dodges to the left while dragging Osamu by the arm. They barely manage to dodge the cone of searing flames directed at them.

**“And you managed to take out half of my shadow forces. It will be a pleasure addressing such an affront from the likes of you.”**

As a user of magic himself, Atsumu can tell the proficiency of a caster by a glance of their own spells. The way that cone of flame was delivered with professionalism stirs feelings of uneasiness within him. His Pa wasn’t lying when he said “professional arsonist”. 

Even so, Atsumu is not one to be easily outmatched. He sees the hands of his opponent gesture to prepare for another spell. Atsumu does in return, pressing his forefinger and middle finger to his lips and closes his eyes. He gathers psionic energy into the reaches of his mind and opens his eyes, glowing a bright blue from the magic. 

Atsumu then sees a glowing ball of fire between his gloved fingertips and molds it into a ray of scorching energy. He retaliates by releasing the psionic energy in his mind through his eyes. The rays of energy in turn meet in the middle, clashing for dominance. After a tense moment, Atsumu’s spell proves to be more potent and knocks back the pyromancer with a distance. 

“Hey, this fucker gets to have my turn too.” Osamu fires another arrow with special fletching and this time it was grey. The arrows leave a mystic green trail in the air and strikes near the foot of the fire mage. A burst of smoke immediately explodes from the point of contact. The smoke leaves the man retching, struggling to breathe in air. 

**“Such insolence! You both will pay for this disrespect!”**

Atsumu feels himself become more steadily exhausted as time passes. He can see Osamu taking in heavy breaths, thinking that the first trip in the village is finally catching up to him. 

“We need t' get the _hell_ outta here-”, Osamu tries to speak but he stops when he hears the definite crackling of fire in the area. Atsumu looks to see the pyromancer has already recovered their bearings and has already readied a significantly large fireball, hands raised on top of his head. 

“Oh fuck no!” Atsumu curses out loud to the danger evident in front of him. He readies a spell on instinct. With his free hand, he stretches it out into a semicircle gesture. A five-foot magic circle spawns at their feet and glows brightly. The Dimension Door circle is prepared under the feet and only the destination is needed.

**“I will end both your existences here and now!”**

The pyromancer hurls the huge ball of fire in their direction. From the twins’ perspective, it seems like a meteor descending from the heavens itself. Atsumu thinks of the destination with all of the speed his thought process can muster before they’re reduced to cinders.

_Western Sleeted Woods, Western Sleeted Woods, Weste-_

At the first thought, they’re both covered by a brilliant glow emanating from the magic circle. When the ball of fire is about to hit in contact, the twins disappear in a blink of an eye and the spell explodes at the impact, no one affected by the blast. 

The flames around the town square are ignited once again. The pyromancer steadies himself from the effects of Atsumu’s spells. The mysterious man curses at himself for failing the attempt to end the twins. He then makes a silent promise to himself, leaves, and never looks back again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Next chapter is about Shoyo and Tobio!_


End file.
